A lively thumbnail doodle discovered on the interweb. Must be a Tiger with appropriate gearing. I couldn’t see my Bonnie being hoisted skyward…
October 18, 2012
Let’s get Technical
I love ink lined technical drawings showing exploded components. You can see how it all goes together. Here’s excerpts from the Triumph Workshop Manual for a ’75 T140V/TR7 of the front brake system. This will help me with my updated stopping project as mentioned yesterday. I can see the draughtsman lined up in a smoky office at Meriden, Coventry poring over a Mylar sheet taped to vast drawing boards. Examining with a keen eye over the top of a thick pair of hornrims, parts sent up from the development workshops. They occasionally make sure their Rotring drawing instruments are filled, tapping their briar pipes occasionally on the heel of their oxfords.
October 11, 2012
Good Ol’ Charlie Brown…
I saw this cagoule wearing moped rider screaming along Greenbay Road, and the image reminded me of the Charles Schultz great Charlie Brown. Perhaps as a grown man he’s given up his zig-zag bumblebee baseball shirt and taking to the blue anorak. Anyways if you have Chuck B. then you’ve got to have Snoopy and Woodstock… Here on their own pumpkin colored scooter.
October 8, 2012
Neolithic Moto
There are forgotten corners of Northumbria where the odd craggy outcropping of sandstone reveals messages from the past. A Long forgotten civilization carved unusual circular patterns upon these rocks. All we see are the ‘Cup & Ring’ lithographs which we can but barely imagine their meaning: calendars, maps, ley-line directions? Well this one here can only mean one thing! Ride On and Ride Fast!
October 5, 2012
A cat with no tail…..
After the sketch artwork a couple of days ago, here’s something with a little more refinement and proportion (though I still love the looseness of the Triumph ledger doodle!). Peter Hutton is the artist here and both the sepi and wash colour rendering add so much life to this technical illustration. The unfinished edges and handwritten manx history round out this visual treat.
October 3, 2012
Ledger Art
More online searching for Triumph esoterica brought this up… a doodle watercoloured sketch of a Bonneville on page 17 of some ledger book. Nice quirky but detailed ink lines albeit a contorted angle of view.
Indeed Ledger Art is a form of visual narrative used by the Plains Indians from the mid nineteenth century on (itself an adaptation of Hide Painting though using available papers from large record keeping ledger books) Here’s a modern take on that with the use of horse power and Indian motorcycle horsepower…
September 14, 2012
Moto Mouse
Cover artwork for the classic Ralph story by Beverly Cleary about a mouse who takes off for greener fields atop a mini-moto and encounters adventures. Lovely ink lifework of the rodent and his bike with a two-ink color backdrop and highlight. I especially like the rear paw clutching the foot pedal; and watching out for his tail he conveniently slings it over his shoulder.
Runaway Ralph The Movie
September 8, 2012
Get me to the church on time…
We’re off downstate to a colleagues wedding today… so I dug out this drawing from the interweb of a newly ‘knot-tied’ couple astride a speeding Triumph heading off on their honeymoon… or is it a runaway bride? Nevertheless; Happy Wedding Day Emily & Matt!
Illustration courtesy of Bob Boze Bell. An evocative little doodle indeed.
August 29, 2012
Brochure Beauties
Nowadays bikes are sold with photography of the machines going like the clappers along ‘closed courses’ with ‘professional riders’. Back in yesteryear it was the job of the art department to illustrate the beautiful lines of the models with a technical steady line and smooth rendering airbrush skill. “Get out your t-square, warm up the French curves and sharpen yer pencils lads: the T120 Bonneville needs artwork prepared for next years Earls Court launch!”
August 7, 2012
A Face in the Crowd
Twin headlighted bikes have facial expression much like cars. After seeing the cycloptic models usually expected in older motos here are a few ogling examples…
Hondas mighty Fireblade, the CBR 900 which was a game changer in the early nineties has its freckled inlets either side of its glower.
A big bruiser stares meanly at oncoming traffic: The 2.4 liter monster-killer Triumph Rocket 3. Tarmac shredding power and a gaping basking shark cooling maw.
Everyone knows the bug-eyed Triumph Speed Triple, an alien from another galaxy… speed is measured in light-years (nearly)
And finally a friendly billed face, of course it’s Bazza’s Donald Duck face.
“Quack, quack”
August 6, 2012
Colours
The grey oily mechanicals are one part of a bike you can pour your eyes over; but it’s the shiny color that gives their bike visual life: Plenty of classic motos with their signature colour schemes were spied at the weekend. Let’s look at a few…
This Triumph hurricane and its fiery orange and yellow flash was surely eye-catching. That engine with three stacked mufflers strikes a strong sense of power.
Another beaut’ was this spiffing BSA C11, racing green livery and a comfy saddle ready for leafy B-roads. It’s little quarter litre single stotting it’s chatter off hedgerows.
One rarity in these parts is a cherry-pie Matchless. Dollop of cream and take her for an appetizing ride. Sweet!
Finally, and these images are making me hungry, this marmalade sandwich Trident. A golden orange flash swooping along the pearly tank hints at summer riding days.
July 24, 2012
Behind Bars
A mint coloured late sixties Bonnie sliced into strips of envy like some zoetrope barrel flicker show.
July 23, 2012
Fifteen Minutes
Andy Warhols screen printed bike… His Pop Art period spanned the golden age of the Triumph Twin. Art meets Art.
500th post!
July 6, 2012
Trucks
When the desire arises to transport your bike(s) or just to get your unresponsive Moto home you need a truck. The International Flatbed example shown here can tote like the best of ’em and look good doing it. A Norton racer sits proudly on its bed waiting for a destination
be it track, windy road or just the garage. Cafe 59
June 7, 2012
We don’t need another Hero
You can keep yer Krypton might; do away with Spidey-web; and Bats? Schmatz! Here’s Captain Triumph to the rescue! A little Teutonic in appearance, but a tough boot ready for any villainous ne’er-do-well’s out there to be stomped on.
And a ride? He needs an over styled, over bored, lump of a moto with sweeping Art Deco lines such as the titular manufacturers latest offering Thunderbird Storm.
geordiebiker.com 